Michael Cheika has named his side for the third and final Test against England, with three changes made from the side that lost the series-deciding Test in Melbourne last weekend.
Coming off two dismal performances in which the Wallabies were constantly thwarted by England’s defence, Cheika had little choice but to change up his backline and decided to revert to the two-playmaker system which was so successful during last year’s World Cup.
Matt Toomua, who hasn’t made a starting appearance for the Wallabies since their group stage match against Uruguay in the World Cup, will start at inside-centre in Sydney, replacing Samu Kerevi.
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After two solid but unspectacular performances in the opening Tests, Cheika was unable to find a spot for Kerevi on an extended bench and has omitted him from the side altogether.
The remainder of the run-on backline has remained unchanged from the Melbourne Test, and while Christian Lealiifano and Nick Frisby have both retained their reserve spots, Taqele Naiyaravoro has replaced Luke Morahan as the other replacement back.
The other major change to the side has come in the forwards, with Will Skelton set to make his first appearance in the series in the run-on side. He will partner Rob Simmons in the second row, with the Reds lock returning to the starting XV after being dropped for the second Test.
Last week’s starting locks Sam Carter and Rory Arnold have both been dropped from the side altogether, with Dean Mumm and the uncapped Adam Coleman both named to the extended bench. Should he survive the cut when the final eight bench players are announced, Coleman will become the first Tasmanian-born rugby player to be capped for the Wallabies.
With Ben McCalman ruled out with a broken scapula, Wycliff Palu has also been included in the reserves ahead of Liam Gill.
Despite having handed England the Cook Cup after losing the first two Tests, Cheika said his side won’t be changing their style of play for the dead-rubber.
“This Saturday’s match against England is a real opportunity for the Wallabies to show the character I know they have on the field, for all our fans to see.
“We will continue to play rugby in our attacking style and we’ll be aiming to do it with more consistent quality than we have in the first two matches.”
The third Test will be played at Allianz Stadium in Sydney this coming Saturday and is due to kick off at 8pm (AEST).
Wallabies team for third Test against England
1. James Slipper – Reds (76 Tests)
2. Stephen Moore (c) – Brumbies (104 Tests)
3. Sekope Kepu – Waratahs (65 Tests)
4. Will Skelton – Waratahs (14 Tests)
5. Rob Simmons – Reds (61 Tests)
6. Scott Fardy – Brumbies (32 Tests)
7. Michael Hooper (vc) – Waratahs (53 Tests)
8. Sean McMahon – Rebels (8 Tests)
9. Nick Phipps – Waratahs (41 Tests)
10. Bernard Foley – Waratahs (29 Tests)
11. Rob Horne (vc) – Waratahs (31 Tests)
12. Matt Toomua – Brumbies (31 Tests)
13. Tevita Kuridrani – Brumbies (33 Tests)
14. Dane Haylett-Petty – Western Force (2 Tests)
15. Israel Folau – Waratahs (40 Tests)Replacements (one to be omitted)
Tatafu Polota-Nau – Waratahs (63 Tests)
Scott Sio – Brumbies (17 Tests)
Greg Holmes – Reds (25 Tests)
Adam Coleman (Uncapped)
Dean Mumm – Waratahs (46 Tests)
Wycliff Palu – Waratahs (57 Tests)
Nick Frisby – Reds (2 Tests)
Christian Leali’ifano – Brumbies (17 Tests)
Taqele Naiyaravoro – Waratahs (1 Test)
Campbell Watts
Guest
Isn't Mumm's Dad high up in the NSWRU?........
Campbell Watts
Guest
Just give up mate... CUW is making a WHOLE lot more sense than you are I'm afraid.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
Its a dead rubber and it makes no difference if you won the series or have lost it. The perceived need for conservative play or selection has gone and you can gamble more on a less conservative team. You can throw caution to the wind because the context of the game has changed. This does not mean he is admitting he got it wrong. I believe many of are just refusing to understand because you want to see it in a negative light.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
OMG! OK its all bad. Nothings right. We should all say everythings bad. Its a disaster and dead rubbers are only for ...one team in a dead rubber? I am at my wits end. Do me a favor and look up the meaning of dead rubber. You dont know what it means because a dead rubber means that its a game that has no effect on the result of the series/tournement. Thats all. Person after person telling me Im wrong when they dont know what they are talking about. How infuriating. Toomua, Simmons and Skelton are all really bad selections and hes clearly gone crazy.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
Neither do Australia!!! Arrrgh. OK its all bad no matter what.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
No hes not. Cheika introducing players an attempt to make the team worse now and in the future is it? Cheikas team can win the series now can they? Should remain conservative should they? Why? There is nothing to lose. You guys are just looking for the negative in everything the Wallabies do. Youll do it now and I garantee you will do it next time you feel the Wallabies are going poorly. Everything will be bad. I have no doubt whatsoever that if Cheika kept the same team that the very same negative Nancies would be complaining about that. No doubt at all.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
No it wouldnt. It would be blaming their strength as if it were their weakness. You guys keep pretending that fellow internationals and rugby insiders dont widely consider the "Fardy-Po0per" backrow to be the best in the world. Not bad but the best in the entire world. Haskell during his man of the match speech said they were the best. So you guys are only going on preconception, not evidence.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
Thats right.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
As I said, I urge people to go on evidence which you are not doing. Fardy, Pocock and Hooper were the best backrow at the WC. You guys just dont like it because you dont agree with it in theory. The thing is that reality blew your theiry out of the water completely and it worked extremely well.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
No thats you wanting a coach to do what you want despite evidence. Im pretty sure that kind of thinking wont get you anywhere in survival of the fittest.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
Lol.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
Its not an experiment. But hey, Cheika should go out there and really do his best to win this series by using the team he used in the last game he lost. How dare he bring back Simmons and Toomua?! Until Cheika gets Aus to number 1 he should not be allowed to change the team. But if he does its only ever because he got it wrong. Anything thats not negative is wrong. Everything is bad. Cheika is a bad coach. England havnt changed their team because they got it right. NZ have made changes because they got it right. Aus and Cheika are just bad and wrong and these selections are wrong and bad.
A.O.Tear Rower
Guest
I think youve missed the point entirely there mate. But Cheika is going to experiment with Toomua, Simmons and Skelton. Mind you its not an experiment. Lol you dont get it lol because lol your a lol condescending lol guy who thinks...lol that he knows more lol than he does lol....lol ???????
Utah
Guest
We don't need worlds best as back up kicker. We certainly don't need to accommodate a very good back up kicker at the expense of a more damaging ball runner or ball player. Foley is an 80 minute player.
Kipper
Guest
I'm afraid that isnt going to happen Pirates. A friend of mine was speaking to a few England players in the Qantas lounge after the game at the weekend and Danny Care said they had taken a group decision to NOT drink a thing until they had beaten those @#$%#$% 3 zip.
Ruckin' Oaf
Guest
Hang on the Wallabies had 70 % of possession. You don't get that if you have a beaten pack. The only try the Wallabies scored was from a driving maul off a lineout. Again, not the sign of a beaten pack. Yeah there was a lack of pick and go - but that might have well been to plan. If not where was the fly-half to direct the forwards ??
Richard
Guest
You`ll still win..
Chivas
Guest
From a guy who wrote an article suggesting Higginbotham (a guy is a proven non event in tests) was an international force and Read was rubbish and waning... Skelton isn't much, but not are any of the other locking options. Maybe, Chieka in fact has infinitely better knowledge about the game and the mechanics than some of the experts here and maybe he along with his assistants who have dedicated there lives to rugby may actually have properly weighed up their options. But then again they may don't know too much and need to sit down and have a chat with a real roar expert.
Peter Hughes
Roar Rookie
I agree on Palu obviously - has been a hopeless dud for 8 yrs :) Mumm also doesn't deserve a place. Skelton inclusion is worry as it weakens the lineout. But do agree on the Toomua inclusion & dropping of Kerevi
Ruckin' Oaf
Guest
The spring tour of 2014 was Cheika's first tour as coach it was a shocker and Foley was the fly half. 2014 being the same year the Wallabies pushed the All Blacks right until the last minute where Fekitoa casually strolled through a Foley "tackle" and scored. And I believe that was very much the theme of the rugby championship that year - ie Foley's inability to tackle directly leading to an opposition try. Apart from the glaring factual errors there is some merit in the comments - in particular the observation that some opinions are seriously deluded.